.jpg)
STOP THE ROBOCABS: Driver group parliamentary petition demands ban on commercial driverless cabs amid mass job fears
- Perry Richardson
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
A new parliamentary petition is calling on the Government to prohibit commercial driverless taxis and other autonomous passenger services amid concerns that the technology could displace more than 400,000 private hire and Hackney carriage drivers.
The petition was created by Thomas Freitas of the Private Hire & Taxi Driver’s Network (PHTDN) and published recently on 10 August 2026. It will remain open until 10 February 2027.
Freitas is asking ministers to prevent operator licences from being issued for fully driverless passenger services. The petition argues that employment protection and public safety should be prioritised before autonomous taxis are allowed to operate commercially.
The petition requires 10,000 signatures to trigger a formal Government response. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.
The campaign comes as the UK moves from supervised testing towards passenger-carrying autonomous vehicle services. Trials of automated driving technology are already taking place on UK roads under existing legislation, but they require a safety driver ready and able to resume control.
The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 created the framework for vehicles to drive legally without being controlled or continuously monitored by a person. However, most of that framework is not scheduled to take effect until the second half of 2027.
Ahead of full implementation, the Government has established an Automated Passenger Services permitting route for small-scale commercial pilots. Companies can apply to carry passengers in self-driving vehicles, including vehicles operating without a safety driver, subject to regulatory assessment and local consent.
The Government’s framework requires autonomous vehicles to reach a safety level equivalent to, or higher than, that of a careful and competent human driver. Responsibility would sit with authorised corporate entities rather than being transferred entirely to passengers when a vehicle is operating autonomously.
The first UK services are expected to be tightly controlled rather than an immediate national rollout. Uber and British autonomous-driving company Wayve have received approval for supervised robotaxi journeys in London, with licensed drivers initially remaining behind the wheel and able to intervene. The companies expect selected passengers to begin using the vehicles later in summer 2026.
The Government has presented autonomous vehicles as a potential growth industry worth £42 billion by 2035, supporting up to 38,000 jobs. Ministers have also argued that the technology could reduce collisions linked to human error and improve transport access for disabled passengers and communities with limited public transport.
The petition challenges that economic case by focusing on the possible displacement of 100,000’s existing taxi and private hire drivers. It does not seek restrictions on driver-assistance technology or supervised testing specifically, but calls for a prohibition on the commercial operation of fully driverless passenger transport.
A ban would require the Government to reverse a regulatory programme already established through primary legislation and secondary regulations. Without a policy change or further legislation, small-scale autonomous passenger pilots can proceed before the full Automated Vehicles Act regime begins in 2027.
